So far, 14 companies have chosen to partner up with Loza Foundation, focusing on UN’s Global Goal no.1, No Poverty. The purpose is to jointly help create a sustainable future for some of the poorest families in Europe. The collaboration that started in January will run throughout 2022.
“I am truly grateful that so many companies have chosen to join this venture against extreme poverty, and we can already present results and measures that the efforts of these companies have contributed to”, says Sabina Grubbeson, Secretary-General, Loza Foundation.
With the help of the 14 partner companies, Loza has already achieved several tangible results in the first three months of the year. A story worth highlighting is the story of six-year-old Samira and her family and how they, thanks to the Loza collaboration with companies, have been given their first fully-functioning home. Please click here to read about how six-year-old Samira gets a home.
Throughout the year, the companies entering this venture will be able to follow the Loza projects in North Macedonia and all the families involved. A short documentary will be recorded, where two of the families will tell the audience about their living conditions and their general situation at the beginning of the project. A sequel will be recorded towards the end of the year to show the effect and the result of the different efforts.
“Some of the companies contribute with more than just funding. For example, Shepherd donates transport, jackets and shoes from their manufacturing and has also managed a collection of children’s clothes and shoes, which were donated to the project. Vagabond has also donated shoes from their production. Having shoes is crucial for children to be able to go to school.”
“When we work with these families on their journey out of extreme poverty, we are always amazed by the motivation we witness when they are given the opportunity to change their situation and living conditions. Many of them have never been given such a chance before and can hardly believe it is true. It is fantastic to see them take a big step out of chaos and misery, and what an enormous difference it makes to the health and development of the children”, says Sabina Grubbeson.
The first of the UN’s Global Goals is No Poverty. The more people that can contribute, the quicker we can reach the goal. Working actively with CSR is nowadays perceived to strengthen a brand and increase credibility, which benefits the companies’ communication, and Sabina believes this to be the reason why more and more companies want to get involved.
The support and mentoring program ‘Families in extreme poverty in North Macedonia’ contributes to reaching the Global Goals by addressinggoal No. 1, No Poverty.
Read more about the global goals of the UN here.
For more information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Sabina Grubbeson, founder and Secretary-General, +46 (0)733-21 38 23, info@lozafoundation.org
Ever since the founder of Loza Foundation, Sabina Grubbeson, visited the institution in Demir Kapija in North Macedonia in 2016 and revealed that the living conditions were much worse than most people could imagine, the aim has been crystal clear for Sabina: All the residents should have a reasonable life with good living conditions. Now, five years later, with the help of Loza Foundation, the first disabled people can move out to the newly-built group homes where they will be able to start a new life with better living conditions, in freedom, with dignity and even with respect for their personal integrity.
”Even if Loza, for the last few years, have done everything we can to improve the living conditions for everyone at the Demir Kapija Institution, it is still an unacceptable environment for people to live in. So the fact that some of the residents can now move into a real home is truly amazing and a result of the hard work the project team has put in”, says Sabina Grubbeson, Secretary-General, Loza Foundation.
Today, slightly less than 200 people live at the institution. Before this Loza Foundation project is finished, the plan is for all these residents to have moved out into group homes. The residencies are built according to a Swedish model; five to six residents per house and qualified support staff on hand. The plan is to build a further seven group homes in the next twelve months, and that another 35 people will be able to leave the institution during 2022.
”Everyone has the right to a home. Media has in the past described Demir Kapija as an institution of horror, and here, disabled people with a variety of physical and psychological needs have been kept under lock and key. Many of them ever since they were children.“
The project is run by the Loza Foundation through fundraising and grants from an EU-project working to help future member states meet human rights requirements.
“Thanks to Loza’s advocacy and lobbying local authorities, we have managed to make an impact not just locally, but centrally on an EU-level too. North Macedonia has passed new laws, e.g. the citizens have the right to personal assistance. We rely on fundraising and at the upcoming charity event at Varbergs Stadshotell on 6 December, we hope to raise even more money for this project and spread the information of how individuals and companies can help us give the Demir Kapija residents a better, more dignified life.“
A moment of deep gratitude and joy. One of the residents kisses Sabina Grubbeson’s hand. Photo: Dare Dimov
Since the residents have spent most of their lives at the institution, many of them are in very poor health and need physical and mental rehabilitation when moving into their new homes.
“Many of them cannot remember a life outside the walls of the institution, so even when their situation actually improves, the change itself can be perceived as a trauma. Therefore, preparing the residents for the move has to start a long time before they physically swap the institutional dorms for a home of their own and carry on for quite some time in the new group home. We can already see that the transition will lead to other needs for support and we are working continuously to raise funds for these requirements too”, Sabina explains.
Sabina founded Loza Foundation because of what she witnessed in 2016 when she visited Demir Kapija for the first time. The photos and reports revealed violations of human rights. These violations had been allowed to carry on, right in the heart of Europe, without any aid organisations realising, without any of the local authorities sounding the alarm nor the EU noticing. Thanks to Loza’s publicity measures, Swedish newspaper ‘Göteborgsposten’ and Swedish television station ‘TV4’ covered the story, and these reports got a lot of attention.
“International aid organisations have called Demir Kapija institution one of the worst institutions in Europe. Several global organisations that work with children’s rights have been involved in moving minors out of institutions, but very few work with disabled individuals’ rights regardless of their age. Loza was founded as I wanted it to be a platform for humanitarian aid, specifically working with disabled people and other vulnerable individuals living in some of the poorest countries in Europe. Today, the organisation is mainly working in North Macedonia”, says Sabina.
Over the last two years, the corona pandemic has had a negative impact on the project. It has been very difficult to implement the changes and measure as fast as we had hoped to and many of the delays have been incredibly frustrating.
“Now we have finally reached the first milestone, and it was a great pleasure to be there when the first few people could move into their new home. That was the day I had been waiting for since founding Loza Foundation and the day the residents of Demir Kapija had been waiting for for most of their life”, says Sabina Grubbeson, Secretary-General, Loza Foundation.
Emotional reaction when the staff show the 45-year-old man the first clothes he has ever owned. Photo: Dare DimovThe new house will now be home to five people who have spent most of their lives inside the institution at Demir Kapija. Photo: Dare Dimov
This is the story of the first year of the Loza project ”Families in extreme poverty”. A project that has already changed the lives of 45 children and their parents who, through most of their lives, have had to live in extreme situations of poverty and have been excluded from the rest of the society.
Whilst working hard trying to help the poorest, most vulnerable people in Europe, Loza Foundation founder Sabina Grubbeson has found that the path out of poverty starts by taking care of one’s basic needs. Only once the primary living conditions have been addressed, a family can start their journey out of poverty. Based on this insight and the new 2019 resolution of the UN, which encourages investments supporting vulnerable families instead of orphanages and institutions, the Loza project “Families in extreme poverty” was set in motion.
The project, which is financed solely by Loza Foundation, is aimed at enabling the poorest families of Europe to get out of the complex situation that extreme poverty really is. The project provides the families with new knowledge and skills, crucial for improving their living standards. By also fulfilling certain terms such as schooling and work, the families are granted access to a social relief program that builds new homes for particularly vulnerable children and their parents, with heating, water, washing facilities, which in turn becomes the linchpin of their new lives.
RESULTS IN BRIEF – WITH LONG-TERM EFFECTS
During the first year of this project, the living conditions and everyday situations of 45 children and 15 adults improved dramatically:
Five out of the adult family members have secured paid employment.
Nine children have been registered at a school for the very first time, and four more will be registered as soon as their paperwork is finalised.
Another fifteen children, already registered at school, have been monitored to ensure they attend the lessons and have the relevant textbooks, stationery and clothing fit for school.
All 60 of them, both adults and children, have been given ongoing support and guidance with:
Information on health and hygiene
Registration at and continued contact with the jobcentre/employment agency
Registration at and contact with social services
Support with the children’s education
BASIC REQUISITES ARE CRUCIAL FOR ONE’S SUCCESS
They lived as homeless and sought refuge at a disused school. Neither the parents nor the children had had any schooling. They stuck together, gathered returnable bottles and begged for money to feed themselves. Through the help of Loza Foundation, they now have rebuilt their house, which was uninhabitable. They have two rooms, a kitchen and a small bathroom. The children go to school, and their mum has managed to secure a job.
Some fundamental requisites must be met for people to have a fighting chance to escape extreme poverty. A personal identification number, for example, is imperative; otherwise, you cannot attend school. Running water to take care of one’s hygiene. Basic knowledge of food and nutrition, so that the few pennies you scrape together are not spent on cookies and cheap soda. A roof over your head and enough food for the day, so that you have the energy to go to school or, if you are an adult, to look for work or go to work.
For many of the poorest people of Europe in socially disadvantaged areas, these kinds of basic requirements are very far from their everyday lives. During last year, thanks to their patrons and partners, Loza Foundation has managed to develop a project that helps families to start their journey out of extreme poverty.
Definition of extreme poverty:
Extreme poverty is a concept introduced by the World Bank Group (WBG) that means that you have less than 16 SEK per person per day to live on. That is to include everything such as food, clothes, accommodation, heating, hygiene, medicine, dental care etc. This is not a temporary condition, but stretches across an extended period of time, and it turns into a downward spiral impossible to get out of. The families with ten children or more, which have been included in the Loza Foundation project, have a buying power of 50 SEK a day, which means they have 5 SEK per person per day to spend. An impossible calculation that puts the entire family on the brink of starvation.
A PILOT TO GUIDE PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY
Years of research clearly show that children that grow up in an orphanage risk being abused, physically and mentally. Despite this, the number of orphanages is increasing rapidly in many countries around the world. One important explanation for this is that organisations such as churches and private individuals carry on supporting and donating to orphanages.
The objective of the Loza Foundation’s pilot project ”Families in extreme poverty” is to help families in North Macedonia find a way out of extreme poverty. This will be done as a combination of aid and mentorship. The project, for instance, shows a way to structure social security systems for vulnerable, disadvantaged people and is evaluated regularly to prove effects and results. The project was started in August 2020 as a joint venture with a local organisation called Dendo Vas. It is based on the UN resolution of 2019 that unanimously encourages member states to phase out existing institutions for children and instead invest in support for socially disadvantaged families. This first year, the project has involved eight families with 45 children in total.
The efforts of the first 12 months of this project have resulted in 45 children and 15 adults have been given practical measures, help and knowledge, which will serve them and assist them on their path to a better life. The project is 100 percent funded by Loza Foundation, and the aid efforts are carried out together with a local team. Thanks to this project, more vulnerable children can avoid being separated from their families, and a foundation can be built for a socially sustainable future, far away from poverty. Thanks to this project, particularly disadvantaged children can grow up in a safe environment with their parents and siblings, and a foundation can be built for a socially sustainable future – far away from poverty.
TARGETED EFFORTS HAVE AN IMMEDIATE EFFECT
Over the past year, the project has worked actively with eight socially disadvantaged and impoverished families, where the focus has been to build a long-term solution for self-sufficiency and increased independence. As early as September 2020, the hard work and gifts bore fruit as the first family in the framework of the project, a blind woman and her teenage daughter, could leave their chaotic life behind. They had lived in a shed that kept on being flooded every time there was a downpour, and each day was all about finding food. Today, the little family lives in a secure, safe house with heating and the daughter can go to school. One aid effort that has had life-changing and lasting results.
A SUCCESSFUL COMBINATION OF MENTORSHIP AND AID
For many families suffering from extreme poverty, small earnings from begging can be crucial when it comes to putting food on the table. The project utilises a combination of aid and mentorship with an aim to help the families find a way of permanently escaping their current situation. The families are given basic knowledge needed for everyday life, which gradually helps them make better choices for themselves. They can build new lives and eventually, once and for all, get out of the complex situation that extreme poverty sadly is.
Definition of ”the poverty trap” – hand to mouth
A person that has to beg to scrape together 50 SEK over the course of a day and also has to provide for a family with ten children does not have the time to look for work, nor can they wait for their salary until the end of the month should they land such a job. Extreme poverty is all about surviving one hour at a time, one day at a time. When you do not have accommodation, cannot read, do not have enough clothes to stay warm and suffer from poor hygiene, you cannot go to work or school. With nothing but a couple of coins in your pocket, it is practically impossible to change your situation and you are caught in a trap, which is often called the poverty trap. The Loza Foundation project is aimed at helping families to get out of that trap.
EDUCATION, KNOW-HOW, INFORMATION, SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE
17-year-old Lirija lived a life in chaos where she took care of her blind mother.
Managing household finances or planning one’s grocery purchases definitely does not come naturally to people who have grown up in poverty. A crucial part of the project is aimed at educating people about hygiene, household finances, the importance of schooling and work, as well as social rights and obligations. As a result of this educational program, the families are getting better at hygiene, organising their household and planning the family’s economy. They are more aware of rights and obligations and have been given a better understanding of how to look for work. In many of the families, the parents cannot read or write, which is a prerequisite to receiving help and being supported in their contact with authorities. The task team has been involved here too, providing their help and support.
A LONG-TERM APPROACH TO ENSURE A BRIGHTER FUTURE
The first year of this project can only be described as a success. The work has carried on according to plan, despite the ongoing pandemic and thanks to an amazing task team that is genuinely committed to taking on one of the toughest challenges we have today; to fight poverty and alienation.
As year two of this project “Families in extreme poverty” is now being mapped out, Loza is planning efforts to create safe living conditions and to give the remaining 50 people included in the project basic requirements for food and better health. The goal is to build well-functioning homes for a further five families. To be able to do all this, Loza Foundation is starting up joint ventures where companies are invited to take part and build houses for the poorest children of Europe, and by doing that, they contribute to the Global Goals of the UN for sustainable development. We will primarily focus on goal no. 1 “No poverty” and goal no. 10 “Reduced inequalities”. There will be continued support for the families that have been with us from the start, but the hope is that these families will gradually become more and more independent so that Loza Foundation can phase in families in need into this project and help even more people out of extreme poverty.
Out of the seventeen UN Global Goals within the framework of Agenda 2030, number one aims to abolish extreme poverty once and for all. The abolishment of poverty is a requisite for a sustainable future for generations to come, which is why we all, jointly and globally, have to work hard to achieve this by 2030. Poverty is so much more than just a lack of money. It is also poor health, lack of education and empowerment, directly and indirectly linked to other goals such as goal no. 2 “Zero hunger”, goal no. 3 “Good health and well-being”, goal no. 4 “Quality education” and so on. The watchwords of these Global Goals are “Leave no one behind” and pledge to work for a society where no one is left behind. Read more about the Global Goals of the UN here.
TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT NO ONE WANTS TO SEE
Loza Foundation is determined to continue its work by involving the state and towns in North Macedonia even more and creating a project platform for a more overall, holistic approach. The long-term goal is to implement this kind of project in more towns and cities in North Macedonia, as well as to include other countries such as Kosovo, Bosnia and Moldavia, which according to the UN Human Development Index, are the poorest countries of Europe.
EVERYONE HAS A RIGHT TO HAVE A HOME
All the families were apart from support and know-how also given material aid in the form of clothes etc.
The right to have a home, or actually the lack of it, is not just about poverty. It is also about lack of freedom, influence, health, education and safety, which are also parameters defined in the UN Global Goals in the framework of Agenda 2030; No. 1 “No poverty”
Supporting development in accordance with the Global Goals of the UN is something that is highly prioritised within conscientious companies and on their agenda of corporate social responsibility. By working together with Loza Foundation, companies and individuals can contribute to and get involved in direct aid efforts without any middlemen, providing results and changing the lives of some of the poorest, most vulnerable people in Europe.
“It goes without saying that the children of this world are our future, and they are most vulnerable during their childhood years. It should also go without saying that no child should have to live in extreme poverty and deprivation”, says Sabina Grubbeson, Secretary-General, Loza Foundation.
Very few people are aware that more than 80 percent of all the millions of children growing up in an orphanage actually have parents who are still alive.Our efforts have an immediate impact on the family with crucial, direct, long-lasting results.
In a shed on the outskirts of the town of Shutka in North Macedonia, 17-year old Lirija lives with her blind mother, Saadet. The shed consists of one room that serves as a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom combined. There is no toilet and every time it rains, the shed is flooded with rainwater. Lirija has hardly any teeth left and the other pupils are ostracising her at school; a school she can no longer attend as she has to spend her days gathering metal and plastics to provide for her and her mother.
About a year ago, Lirija met Sabina Grubbeson, the founder of Loza Foundation, who happened to be in the country to visit areas of social deprivation. Lirija started telling Sabina about the life her mother and she leads and that each day is a fight for survival.
“It was impossible to listen to Lirija’s story and not do anything to help them. They are suffering in inhumane living conditions, which no human being should have to endure. Basic hygiene and getting a good night’s rest is impossible in their situation, which I would say are required if a person is to even attempt getting out of the complex situation that extreme poverty is”, says Sabina Grubbeson.
Lirija and Saadet lived in a house together with the maternal grandparents, but they died and the house collapsed. Lirija has not attended school for quite some time and the family are not being given any social welfare benefits. She says they are living with constant stress as they are worried about not having enough food, poor health or keeping a roof over their heads.
“We have to take one day at a time. People in this area are all poor and we try to help each other out, but most of the time, everyone has to focus on themselves in order to survive. Things turned worse when my mother started to lose her eyesight and today, she is 99 percent blind and cannot work at all”, Lirija tells us.
In August 2020, Loza Foundation partnered up with the non-governmental organisation Dendo Vas to repair the house that had collapsed. A new roof, new doors and windows as well as a toilet, which will make a huge difference to the family’s health and hygiene. Loza Foundation also supported the family with volunteers that took Lirija to a dentist, who then replaced her eroded teeth.
On 20 October, Lirija went back to school thanks to NGO Dendo Vas that helped her with the registration process and in November, Lirija and her mother will be able to move into their new house. This relief effort is also the start of the new project and mentorship program “Families with children in extreme poverty”, which Loza Foundation and Dendo Vas are initiating right now; a pilot project that will run for a two-year period.
Eight families will be included in the first year of the project. The purpose is to improve their living conditions by offering hands-on relief such as house repairs and also knowledge-sharing and education so that the families will be able to make ends meet and the children should have the opportunity to go to school.
“The goal with this project is to create reasonable living conditions for these families and to work as a mentor to help them achieve a fully-functioning work life and to be included at school. When we meet these families, we feel these relief efforts stimulate their willpower, determination and hope of a better future, that they have been missing for a long time. We will do everything in our power to support them when it comes to escaping the complex situation that extreme poverty actually is”, says Sabina Grubbeson.
The World Bank defines extreme poverty as a living off less than 18 SEK per person per day. The families with children included in this project are living off approximately 5 SEK per day and several of the families are also suffering from illness, disabilities and homelessness, and some of the children face particularly vulnerable situations. As a consequence of the Corona pandemic, the World Bank recently increased their forecast for extreme poverty and earlier this summer, the UN reported that the number of people living in extreme poverty is increasing for the first time in 22 years.
“That proves how critical the situation is and how important this type of project is right now. I am convinced we can contribute to vital, permanent results for the future of these families, just like we have done for Lirija and Saadet. What we need now is financial support”, says Sabina Grubbeson, founder of Loza Foundation.
Lirija and Saadet will continue to be included in this mentorship program, where they will be taught home economics amongst other things. For the first time in a long time, Lirija can finally see a brighter future.
“My mother and I are so happy to have received this help. We are no longer as stressed and we believe in our future. My only goal now is to manage the school assignments, so that I can start working, become independent and support both my mother and myself.”
Even though life has given her a tough start, she can also see other people’s needs and are pleased for their sake too.
“I can see the other poor children in the area who Loza will help and I am so happy for them. To think that more people will get the kind of help my mother and I received is amazing”, says Lirija.
The poorest, most vulnerable people in Europa have been hit hard by the current pandemic. Loza Foundation is dedicating extra resources to alleviate the consequences for the residents at the Demir Kapija Institution in North Macedonia. Not only within the framework of the ongoing EU project, but also with additional support activities.
“During the summer, we transferred some of the project resources to finance protective equipment, but the employees at this institution are overworked, exhausted and several are on sick leave. This has forced us to initiate parallel measures to assist them with support staff, reduce the workload and improve the quality of the health care”, says Sabina Grubbeson, founder of Loza Foundation.
The corona pandemic has been utterly challenging for both the residents and the staff members at Special Institution in Demir Kapija. The TIMOR project funded by EU has an aim of moving the patients with disabilities to more humane community-based living conditions and this is still progressing according to plan, but additional efforts are needed.
”Several of the residents at Special Institution in Demir Kapija are at risk as they have underlying pulmonary diseases and this, in turn, requires new ways of working during the pandemic. The staff members have also got very challenging working conditions, and some have even been signed off sick due to their underlying illnesses.”
The additional support staff that are being recruited are absolutely necessary in order to give the existing personnel some much-needed relief and at the same time, increase the overall quality of the health care provided at Demir Kapija. Loza Foundation has therefore decided to fund three support staff for three months.
“Donating on a monthly basis to Loza Foundation or even a single, one-off gift will help the residents of this institution a great deal and will also help EU-project TIMOR to proceed as planned.”
Loza Foundation is working for the most vulnerable people in the poorest countries; the hidden, forgotten areas and citizens of Europe. Thanks to kind donations from private individuals as well as companies, Loza can carry out concrete, hands-on projects in the field, where it is most needed.
A brief outline of TIMOR, a project funded by the EU
TIMOR stands for Together for Introduction of More Opportunities and Respect and is supposed to run for a period of three years. Its purpose is to move people with disabilities to more humane conditions in community-based group residences, educate personal health-care assistants and use information about people with disabilities to increase general awareness in society, which will help to prevent prejudice and opposition.
Loza Foundation is now switching focus to the effects of COVID-19 and is busy fundraising to be able to carry out emergency relief efforts targeting the most vulnerable, exposed groups in North Macedonia. The poor and the infirm have been hit the hardest in this global crisis.
“Our aid is needed more than ever”, says Sabina Grubbeson, founder and Secretary-General of Loza Foundation.
It does not seem as though COVID-19 is likely to leave Europe in a hurry, and North Macedonia is no exception. As a precaution to stop the virus from spreading further, the government has decided to shut all schools and these measures are extremely tough on the poorer families.
Because of the current situation, Loza Foundation has chosen to partner up with local organisation Dendo Vas and the municipality of Suto Orizari in Skopje to offer assistance and aid to one of the biggest Romani ghettos in Europe.
“These are people that have no other way of supporting themselves but to beg, gather plastic and scrap metal for recycling, or picking up rubbish. At school, the children learn about hygiene, how to behave and function in society regardless of their domestic arrangements. When the schools shut, the children and their families lose a vital element of safety and security.
As things stand, the emergency funding is supposed to help 80 people in desperate need of aid. The aid packages will contain tinned food and rice, as well as personal hygiene products such as soap and shampoo. Initially, Loza Foundation needs to raise 5,600 Euros for aid parcels, which will be distributed over the next two months.
“In times of crisis, it is even more important that we do our bit for the poorest and most vulnerable, exposed groups in society. Thanks to Dendo Vas, we will be able to distribute the aid packages without delay in Suto Orizari. Then we will move on to other areas, such as Prilep and Bitola, which are also in dire need of assistance. Our work here must go on”, says Sabina Grubbeson.
They have had to endure horrendous living conditions and deprivation for most of their lifetime, but thanks to an EU project, the residents of institution Demir Kapija in North Macedonia can finally move out.
“This is amazing news. No human being should be forced to live like that”, says Sabina Grubbeson Secretary-General of Loza Foundation, which has been jointly awarded an EU grant with two other organisations to assist and contribute during this development process.
Ever since the start in 2017, Loza Foundation has been committed to helping the most vulnerable people in the poorest regions of Europe. One project that has been given lots of focus and attention is all about improving the inhumane living conditions for the disabled people at the Demir Kapija institution in North Macedonia. Now, at long last, times are changing. In December 2019, EU Commission authorised the project with the goal of emptying the institution over the next three years and all the residents will be moved into smaller group residences instead.
“The approval of this project shows that the work we do through Loza Foundation really does make a difference. It means so much for the progress of human rights and future developments for the situation of people with disabilities in North Macedonia. We obviously hope this will inspire and spur bordering countries on to follow suit.”
The EU project began in January 2020, when Loza Foundation was jointly awarded an EU grant with organisations CeProSARD and Association for Special Education and Rehabilitation with a purpose of leading and securing a smooth transition from special institution Demir Kapija and the final termination of the institution as it is today. In total, the move involves 200 people, where the residents will be offered activities and support to suit each individual. Loza Foundation will mostly contribute with rehab materials and equipment for the new residences, but also closely follow the work and be a resource in this development and the challenges this extensive work will no doubt involve over the coming months and years.
“We will be present at the new residencies and ensure that everyone is given a safe place and an everyday life and routine that works for them. It is important to remember that this will be a huge challenge for many of these people as they have lived in institutions for most of their lives. It might be frightening to have to face the world outside of the walls of the institution. It might also be a test for the society around them and we want to encourage the community to meet these people with warmth and kindness to contribute to a positive change in society and bring this type of stigmatisation to an end.”
CeProSARD: Local, non-governmental organisation that works for sustainable development of rural areas.
Association for Special Education and Rehabilitation:
An association of special needs teachers, occupational therapists and psychiatrist.
For Loza Foundation Cycle4Europe 2019 was a total success and now, the last few details have been finalised for the new cycling event that will take place in May 2020. The new route will run from Varberg in Sweden to Trondheim in Norway. “Thanks to Cycle4Europe, we have managed to highlight a long-forgotten, hidden part of Europe, where some people are stuck in inhuman living conditions and are in dire need of help. That is why it is imperative we keep fighting for their cause”, says Sabina Grubbeson, founder of Loza Foundation.
In September last year, the cyclists crossed the finishing line in Varberg, Sweden with Triathlon World Championship medallist Jonas Colting at the helm. By that point, they had cycled across Europe in aid of the poorest, most vulnerable people in Europe and now the initiator and aid organisation Loza Foundation has decided to launch another Cycle4Europe event in May 2020 with their main sponsor BEWiSynbra.
This year’s edition of Cycle4Europe will start where the 2019 route finished. Starting in Varberg, Sweden on 17 May, the plan is for the cyclists to cover a total of 1,000 km divided into six different legs and cross the finishing line on 22 May in Trondheim on the west coast of Norway.
As the main sponsor BEWiSynbra are taking care of all the overheads and organizational costs for this event, all additional donations and funding goes directly to the Loza Foundation projects.
“This year we are starting in Varberg as we want to pick up where the 2019 event left off. We are incredibly grateful for BEWiSynbra’s contribution, and as their headquarters are based in Trondheim, Norway, it makes perfect sense to have the finishing line for Cycle4Europe 2020 there.”
Last year the cyclists had to cycle from Skopje, North Macedonia and cover 2,500 km before they reached Varberg, but the end result was worth it as the total proceeds amounted to 600,000 SEK. The money has helped Loza Foundation to pay for children’s shoes, warm winter clothes and education. Furthermore, the funds have helped to improve the living conditions and situation for disabled people in North Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and Loza Foundation are now also looking to start projects in Kosovo.
“Cycle4Europe has shown the rest of the world that this is an important issue, which needs to be highlighted and dealt with. At the same time, we are hoping to build a productive, worthwhile partnership with companies and sponsors, where we all feel proud of the work we do together for the Global Goals and a sustainable social development here in Europe”, says Sabina Grubbeson, founder of Loza Foundation.
Sabina Grubbeson, Loza Foundation, Martin Bekken, BEWiSynbra and Peter Algebäck, Brainforest.
Loza Foundation works for the most vulnerable people in the poorest countries of Europe. The foundation was founded in 2017
in Sweden. In collaboration with the local population we take concerted action within institutions for people with mental health
issues and physical disabilities, at orphanages and other operations for women and children that are particularly vulnerable.
Facts about Cycle4Europe 2020:
A cycling event where all the participants collect money in aid of Loza Foundation’s ongoing work for the most vulnerable people in the poorest countries of Europe.
Dates: 17-22 May
Stage 1:
17 May Varberg – Stenungsund, Sweden 133 kilometres
18 May Stenungsund, Sweden – Halden, Norway 151 kilometres
19 May Halden – Eidsvoll, Norway 145 kilometres
Stage 2:
20 May Eidsvoll – Ringebu, Norway 211 kilometres
21 May Ringebu – Oppdal, Norway 176 kilometres
22 May Oppdal – Trondheim, Norway 120 kilometres
Organizer: Loza Foundation in collaboration with main sponsor BEWiSynbra and partner Brainforest.
Facts about Cycle4Europe 2019 Route: Skopje, North Macedonia – Varberg, Sweden
Distance: 2,500 kilometres
Total proceeds: 600,000 SEK
She works with children and adults with disabilities in the same time as she is studying to become a special educator and rehabilitator at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia. Volunteer of the year at Loza Foundation is Glorija Naumovska.
– I can feel that my efforts make a difference in someone’s life, that is the reason why I work as a volunteer, says Glorija Naumovska.
Glorija encountered Loza Foundation in 2017 when she was a volunteer from the university at the Special Institution in Demir Kapija in North Macedonia. Both the university and Loza Foundation contributed during a five-day camp analyzing and planning ways to improve the conditions for the 250 people with disabilities living there. Since then, Glorija has traveled to Demir Kapija on several occasions in a voluntary context with the Loza Foundation.
– I visited the Special Institution already 2014, and since then I wanted to try and do more to help improve the living conditions for the people living there under such difficult conditions. But it wasn’t until 2018 when I joined Loza Foundations team of volunteers and got a chance to really make a difference.
During the past year, a lot of Glorijas focus has been on the children’s homes in Skopje, where Loza Foundation is engaged in about 50 children. By using her network of friends and fellow students, Glorija has been the project leader for a project where the children, with the help of volunteers, have been able to buy clothes and shoes and where each child also received a bicycle of their own. In addition to that, she was the coordinator of the Cycle4Europe charity event in Skopje as well as during EU parliamentarian David Lega’s visit to institutions in Demir Kapija where she volunteered as interpreter.
– I feel that the work Loza Foundation is doing is important because it focuses on children and adults in the most secluded places in Europe that live in terrible conditions, extreme poverty and exclusion. The aim of the foundation is to build bridges between people, companies and organizations who want to work together on improving the lives of vulnerable people and give them access to resources that will help them develop, grow and succeed as human beings.
Sabina Grubbeson is the founder of Loza Foundation:
– The reason why Loza Foundation works is thanks to volunteers who contribute with their time and dedication. Voluntary commitment is crucial and Glorija is one of those who has made it possible. As a person, she has really impressed on us and done an amazing job. And we hope that more people want to get involved and contribute to social sustainable development where it is needed the most, says Sabina Grubbeson.
Loza Foundation’s work in eastern Europe has been recognised all over Europe. It is now official that EU parliamentarian David Lega, a member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Human Rights, will travel with Loza Foundation to North Macedonia on 3 October 2019.
”To talk about North Macedonia as a candidate country for the EU requires that they take better care of their most vulnerable citizens,” says David Lega.
Since 2017 Loza Foundation has been working to improve the living situation in Europe’s poorest and most deprived areas by supporting children’s homes and institutions for people with disabilities. In addition, in September of this year Loza Foundation together with the company BewiSynbra held the charity event Cycle4Europe where volunteerscycled through some of Europe’s poorest countries and raised over 600,000 Swedish kronor.
The next trip to North Macedonia is planned for the beginning of October, this time together with EU parliamentarian David Lega.
”The situation for many in North Macedonia is extremely difficult, but generally it is even more difficult for those with disabilities. To talk about North Macedonia as a candidate country for the EU requires that they take better care of their most vulnerable citizens,” says David Lega EU parliamentarian (KD) and member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Human Rights.
David Lega has for a long time worked to bring attention to vulnerable groups with limited access to the resources and possibilities to make their voices heard. He has done so both in his previous role as municipal council in Gothenburg and lecturer for business and industry.
During the three day visit to North Macedonia David Lega will among other things meet with representatives from the government and participate in Loza Foundations work in the region. As a part of a campaign promise David Lega will also visit the institution for disabled in Demir Kapija, where the North Marcedonian government has promised to improve the living standards for the inhabitants.
”Demir Kapija is an example of how far they have come with their work to phase out these sort of institutions for the disabled and this journey can be seen as an inspection of this case,” says David Lega.
Sabina Grubbeson is the founder of Loza Foundation. As a non-political and non-religious organisation Loza Foundation wants more EU politicians from all parts of the political spectrum to be inspired to make similar trips.
”Hopefully it will lead to politicians leaving their offices and experience reality in the flesh and contribute to efforts that lead to faster results. There are people who lie on tarpaulins in beds without sheets and no toilets. It is unworthy, unreasonable and above all urgent. The fact that David Lega is travelling with us to North Macedonia will hopefully result in vulnerable groups being given even more attention. These are conditions that are difficult to understand until you have seen them with your own eyes. Human rights are neither a right nor left issue, therefore I hope more EU parliamentarians will follow suit,” says Sabina Grubbeson.
Rättshaveri att papperslösa barn i Nordmakedonien nekas skolgång, det strider mot Barnkonventionens artikel 28. Loza Foundation kämpar för att lokala myndigheter ska agera, läs pressmeddelandet här:
https://t.co/ykvv8RhnqJhttps://t.co/fBWwTAVOh9,Apr 11
